Counter-Strike: Global Offensive release date set, amazing price

Counter-Strike Global Offensive has been off the radar in recent months, but we now have some important news for those that have been keeping an eye on the game. Valve has just announced a solid release date for the upcoming shooter and we now know that Global Offensive will launch at the end of Summer.

The closed beta is still underway as we speak and we’re guessing that many die hard 1.6 players have already had the chance to preview Global Offensive with such a long beta window. We played the game at Eurogamer last year and loved what we saw, especially given that the graphics shown on the console versions were on par with that of PC.

So the big date that you all need to write down is August 21 and that relates to multiple platforms as well. The game will be releasing on this date for the PS3, Xbox 360, PC and also Mac users too. If you don’t know already, Global Offensive is an enhanced take on the original Counter-Strike 1.6 game that is still one of the most popular online shooters today. The game will feature updated map classics such as de_dust2 and de_dust1, while there will also be brand new maps for you to enjoy as well.

Global Offensive will also debut a few new weapons as well, most notably the molotov cocktail. The PS3 version of the game was originally shaping up to be something special after Valve announced that it would come with cross-platform support with the PC version. However, that plan has now been scrapped so you may want to stick with the PC version if you want to own the definitive version of the game with the quickest support from Valve post-release.

One pleasing aspect that will definitely surprise you is Valve’s pricing strategy. Some of you would probably be willing to pay full price for this, but Valve has announced that the game will be available for as little as $15! That price relates to the PS3, PC and Mac versions, while Xbox 360 owners can buy Global Offensive for just 1200 Microsoft Points – cheaper than Bethesda’s upcoming Dawnguard expansion for Skyrim.

Of course there are some groans that this isn’t really a ‘completely’ new Counter-Strike game, but rather a small update to the existing CS 1.6 game – but for $15 who is going to argue with Valve here? That is a fantastic price for a brand new game and one which current CS players will be delighted to pay out. The main mission for Valve will be to introduce brand new players to the CS franchise with Global Offensive. Don’t forget that this is a digital release only, so the hard work starts now to make this as appealing as possible on console.

Will you be paying $15 for Counter-Strike Global Offensive? We are really enjoying the beta at the moment, so it is a complete no-brainer for us.